1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration damper for an airbag inflator and, more particularly, to such a vibration damper which is positioned between an inflator and an airbag module in a steering column of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
The vibrations that arise in motor vehicles during movement or idling thereof with the motor running are, in many cases, transmitted to the steering column and then to the steering wheel. To dampen these vibrations at the steering wheel and to improve driving comfort, various types of vibration damper devices have been mounted within the steering column. In some cases, the vibration damper device has been integrated with the airbag inflator assembly mounted within the steering column and, in other cases, it has been separate therefrom.
Such vibration damper devices have been subject to one or more of the following disadvantages:
1. They have been complicated in construction;
2. They have been difficult to install;
3. They have been difficult and/or expensive to manufacture;
4. They have been unreliable in operation; and/or
5. They have occupied too much space in the steering column.
The vibration damper of the present invention is not subject to any of the above-mentioned disadvantages and possesses certain advantages that are not found in prior art damper devices of the same general type.